Speaker: David Newman, Natural Products Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD

Topic: The Requirements For a Man-Portable Mass Spec - or - Why a Star Trek Tricorder Would Be Nice To Own!

Place: Building 426, Conference Room, NCI-Frederick, Frederick, MD

Time: Wednesday, November 10, 1999, at 1:00 PM

Abstract: Mother Nature has designed and synthesized over aeons extraordinarily complex molecules, and now we need to be able to identify these materials quickly and easily either in the field during collection or soon afterwards upon returning to the laboratory. Illustrative examples from natural product sources (including marine, microbial, and plant) will be shown and discussed. Also to be examined is how the complexity of molecular structure and source mixtures is both a strength and a serious problem in looking to natural products as a source of potential drugs.